By David Fleet
Editor
Goodrich-By a 5-0 vote on Monday night in a virtual meeting via Zoom, the board of trustees opted to reopen the high school in Jan. 4, 2021. Ashley Herriman, board secretary and Tim. Zirnhelt, trustee were absent with notice.
The action follows a Nov. 16 Governor Whitmer announcement that, due to a surge of COVID-19 cases and the burden placed on hospitals, front-line workers, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services had moved the state back into a “modified” Phase 3. Michiagan High Schools and colleges must halt in person classes while K-8 could continue. Then, on Dec. 7 the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services extended Michigan’s partial shutdown by 12 days that restricts indoor social gatherings and other group activities. The order — which was set to expire Dec. 8 — was in place through Dec. 20. Whitmer says the additional 12 days allowed the department to determine the full impact of the Thanksgiving holiday on the spread of COVID-19 across Michigan.
“There are four districts in Genesee county that are face-to-face,” said Wayne Wright, district superintendent. “I have talked with the superintendents of those districts and the anticipation is they will also go back on Jan. 4.”
“In Goodrich (area) the positive rate (of COVID) is very low,” he said. “As it is in other areas that are in face-to-face settings. The governor said that after Dec. 20 high schools could come back in session, it’s under local control.”
Wright added that fall sports would be finished statewide by Jan. 15, however winter sports, such as basketball, wrestling and hockey could not start, or meet at this time.
“For the most part students should be over the COVID piece (on Jan. 4, 2021) because their big meetings with young children is Christmas time,” he said. “(By Jan. 4)  they (students) would meet the 10 day quarantine or very close to meeting that quarantine,” said Wright.